Building construction



No. m4,449. Paten/feuA Nov. 22,y |898. c., F. BIKER.

BUILDING 00NST RUGTION. (Application med Nov. 12, 1897.)

(No Modal.)

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Artnr CHARLES F. BIKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,449, dated November 22, 1898.

l Application tiled November l2; 1897. Serial No. 65 8,280. (No model.)

To all whom, it may cof/went: l

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. EIKER, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Building Construction, of which the following is a specification My invention relates to improvements in building constructions, and more particularly to improvements in the construction of fireproof buildings composed, of steel or metal framework and tile filling between the metal beams and surrounding the same to protect them against heat. rl-.Ieretofore in such building construction the tile filling or iiat archwork betweenthe metal beams and constituting the floor or ceiling horizontally between the rooms has been liable to complete destruction in case of fire when Water is thrown upon the heated tilework, the sudden and unequal expansion and contraction of the heated tile when wateriis thrown upon it causing it to crack and break and frequently give way entirely, as has been demonstrated by tests and experiments heretofore made.

The object of my invention is to overcome this defect or difficulty and save the great cost heretofore incurred in repairing such buildings in case of fire.

To this end my invention consists in providing the tilework or filling between the metal beams or surrounding the same with integral projecting keys adapted to support 'a supplemental thin tile-covering and providing the tilework with such thin supplemental tile-covering, with an air-space between, so thatlthe supplemental covering may protect the main tilework from contact with water and from consequent danger of disintegration.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this lspecification and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the views, Figure l is a'vertical longitudinal section of a portion of aflat arch or tile work filling between two horizontal beams embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section at right angles to Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a bottom view showing the thin supplemental tile-covering partially in place and partially removed. Fig. 4: is a detail plan view of one of the pieces of the supplemental tile-coverin g.

In the drawings, A A represent metal beams or framework of a building. f

B B are abutment hollow tiles extending between the beams A A and constituting a fiat tilework arch, constituting the ioor and ceiling, for example, of a building, the abutting or meeting faces of the tile B being inclined to form a fiat arch.

The particular form and construction ofthe hollow tile B which I prefer to employ in practicing my invention is that shown and described and patented in Letters Patent No. 456,309, of July 2l, 1891, although my invention may be applied to any other suitable construction of tile, Whether the same be used as a fiat arch or filling between beams or as a protective covering surrounding the same or framework.

The tile B are provided with a series of integral keys b, preferably of a dovetailed shape and projecting from their lower outer or exposed surface, as is clearly indicated in the 'drawings at Figs. 2 and 3. The integral keys or dovetailed ribs b extend parallel to each other, as shown in Fig. 3, and form supports for the supplemental thin tile-covering D. Each 0f the supplemental tile D is preferably of an oblique parallelogram shape,so that they may be conveniently inserted between the ribs or keys b b by simply turning the same, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3, and also to enable the supplemental tile to properly bridge the lower flange a of the beams A, across which the keys or ribs b of course do not extend, as these fianges are covered by small covering-tile C, which are not provided with the ribs or keys b. Owing to the oblique or diagonal shape of the tile D they properly span the covering-tile C. The ribs or keys'h are preferably formed in the tile B closer together than the length of the tile D, as illustrated in the drawings, as this affords an intermediate support for the tile and also enables short pieces to be used, as is sometimes necessary. The tile D are furnished withinclined ribs or lips d to engage the ribs or keys b, and thus leave an open or air space D between the tile B and the supplemental tile D. Supplemental tile D are thus caused to better protect the tile B against heat and also IOO against the chilling effect of water thrown upon the tile D when heated. By this means in case of fire the supplemental covering-ti1e D will protect the tile B from injury by contact With Water, and in case the supplemental tile D are destroyed by the heat and Water the main tile B will remain intact and the Work can be repaired easily and cheaply by simply renewing the supplemental tile D.

I claim- 1. The improvement in fireproof-building construction consisting of a tilework filling or covering provided with integral supportingkeys or dovetailed ribs, in combination with a thin supplemental tile-covering supported by said keys or ribs, substantially as speciied.

2. The combination with the tilework B provided With ribs b, of oblique thin supple- 

